Tips to Maintain Your Roof
The average shingle roof lasts 20-25 years, more or less depending on storm damage and usual wear and tear. Other types of roofing materials can last longer, but are also more expensive to install.
The extent and quality of care you give your roof can reduce or increase the time between new roof replacements. If you are lucky, you might end up only having to replace your roof once in your lifetime, so long as you give it the maintenance it needs.
Roof replacement is expensive regardless of the type of roof you have. You’re a lot better off doing maintenance and small repairs as needed in order to help extend the lifetime of your home’s roof.
If you aren’t confident in your roofing abilities – or just can’t stand the idea of climbing up a ladder – you can always call a licensed, certified roofer in Greenville to help you with all your maintenance and repair needs.
PREVENTATIVE ROOF CARE
Doing things to prevent most roof damage before it occurs is the cheapest way to lengthen the lifetime of your home’s roof. Here are a couple of preventative care projects for your home’s roof:
Cut limbs hanging over your roof. Strong winds and rain storms can break limbs and even push over whole trees. Decaying, dying trees can also drop their heavy branches right onto your roof if they’re not pruned. Falling limbs ruin all types of roofs, including asphalt shingles and metal roofs.
Install rain gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal or mesh covers that can be installed over your rain gutters to reduce clogging. They can reduce the amount of gutter cleaning that you have to do and help prevent overflow into your yard. You can install gutter guards yourself or leave the job to a roofer or gutter cleaning company in Greenville.
Schedule regular inspections. Shingles begin to lose asphalt granules after a few years, and metal roofs can get dented or begin to show signs of age such as rust or tarnish. Having inspections done by a roofing company can let you know if there’s an issue that needs to be taken care of.
Apply a roof coating. Roof coatings renew the oils from shingles so they don’t dry out, helping your roof last 5 years or more beyond its expected lifespan. There are regular and plant-based options so you can feel safe about putting these coatings on your home, where they will run off and possibly be in contact with your children, pets and lawn.
Make sure your insulation and ventilation systems are in prime condition. Too much or not enough insulation can create a condensation problem. Lack of ventilation can lead to trapped moisture. This can quickly cause mold and mildew growth, as well as musty odors inside of your house. Besides being annoying, mold and mildew will eat away at wood and other materials, weakening your home’s structure.
ROUTINE ROOF MAINTENANCE
Every once in a while, you’ll need to do some general maintenance on your home’s roof. If this is done often enough, you’ll help prevent leaks and lengthen the lifespan of your roof, regardless of the type.
Do these projects at least once every 12 months to prevent damages and keep your home’s roof looking nice:
Roof cleaning. Cleaning a roof will remove debris, mold and dirt. This will reduce the risk of pests building nests on your home’s roof, and it will instantly renew the appearance of your home. Greenville Pressure Washing offers roof cleaning in Greenville as one of our services.
Gutter cleaning. Cleaning out gutters is a necessary part of home ownership. Check your rain gutters often, especially while it’s raining, to see if there are any clogs that need to be removed. Most gutter experts recommend gutter cleaning once in the spring and again in the fall season.
Remove moss. If moss starts growing, it likely means that your roof is too shaded and stays relatively moist. Moss’s roots will attach to shingles and other types of materials and ruin them if it isn’t eliminated quickly. Most homeowners decide to have a professional service do this so no unnecessary damage is done in the process.
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS
Damages will happen, but so long as you take care of them right away, no serious issues should occur. If you are a handyman, you may feel confident enough doing small repairs yourself. But if not, professional roofing companies in Greenville are trained to tackle these fast fixes for you to keep your roof in optimal condition.
Replace damaged or worn shingles. Shingles have asphalt bits attached to them. The texture can be removed from the shingles by debris, hail or strong rain storms. These asphalt chunks help protect your home’s roof. If they start coming off, the roof will look worn, but, most importantly, it won’t protect what’s underneath. Only a small section needs to be re-shingled if the damage is superficial.
Replace fascia. Occasionally, the part of your home’s roof that rests between the roof material and the top of the exterior wall (called the fascia) will also have to be replaced. The fascia can sometimes leak, letting mold and mildew into your home, and sometimes pests.
Re-caulk around the flashings. Flashings fill in gaps on the roof where it is difficult to place roofing material. It’s the most common location for leaks on a roof, and it is easily damaged. If more extensive work is needed, replacing the flashing is also an easy project for professionals and proficient homeowners as well.
YOUR ROOF NEEDS LOVE TOO!
The roof is one of the most expensive home maintenance costs. With the typical lifespan of a roof being around 20 and 30 years, you will likely only have to install a new one once or twice. Of course, if you move frequently, you might end up replacing quite a few roofs in your lifetime.
When purchasing a new house, a roof inspection is definitely worth your time. You can also include the price of a new roof – if necessary – in the closing costs or request that the seller have the roof replaced prior to the sale. When selling a house, give Greenville Pressure Washing a call for professional roof cleaning in Greenville to improve curb appeal for interested buyers.